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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Fest 10 Hangover: Sunday

Behold the Big Cheese (cheeseburger with grilled cheese as buns) with a side of deep-fried green beans.

After eating that monstrosity, I collapsed outside in the grass and laid there for awhile to digest. It was incredible while I was eating it though. That was when the day was halfway over though, let's go back to the beginning.

We walked to a nonprofit record shop, I picked up a cool critical mass cycling shirt and a Hot Water Music record for 10 bucks. Then I wanted to walk over to 1982 to try and catch Calvinball. I never heard them but I liked their name. It was a good thing we did go because we caught some bands that I hadn't heard of before that I will be listening to for awhile now.

First up was Weatherbox (Click here to read/download)who had just been added to Fest a week before. I bumped into the guys from Look Mexico there and they told me to stick around for them because they were great. And they were very right. They are currently in the process of recording their third LP, and after listening to their latest EP, I can't wait to sink my teeth into their previous work.

I didn't catch Pure Graft, because we went outside to interview Look Mexico. Really nice guys. Calvinball (Click here to read/download)was pretty catchy. They were from the UK, so only the singer/guitarist was actually there and was supported by people from another band. I talked to lead guy about Calvin and Hobbes for a little bit, and then we decided to make our way to the Atlantic to catch We Were Skeletons (Click here to read/download). I had heard their music before, so I thought I was in for a hectic screamo set. It was a bit more hectic than I anticipated. Bodies were flying. The first video is mine, that I just uploaded and you get to see someone fly out of your laptop. The second is Lori's which has already been posted by WWS on their tumblr and facebook.

After them, we left to get food. Pianos Become the Teeth played next, but I knew they were coming to Michigan later in November, so I didn't feel bad leaving. That's when I ate the Big Cheese. Yummm/ugggghhh. I laid in the grass for ten minutes then I remember popping my eyes open and saying "Flatliners" and hopping right up. We skidaddled to the Florida Theatre to catch The Flatliners (Click here to read/download). I hadn't seen them in a few years, so I was pretty excited. We walked in during "Shithawks" and got to see most of their set. Also, it was funny because they started the set off wearing Terrence & Phillip-esque masks from South Park (they're canadian).

After that, it was off to Loosey's. We had passed by this bar a few times before, but hadn't gone in yet. They had turned their dart area into a makeshift place for bands to play. The sound was surprisingly good, and I loved the atmosphere. It kind of reminded me of the 8 Ball in Ann Arbor, and it would turn out to be one of my favorite bar/venues I visited in Gainesville. We got to watch the Lions demolish Tim Tebow and the Broncos (in Gainesville, no less). Then, we got the pleasure of seeing Junior Battles (Click here to read/download, coming soon). I had never listened to them before but Matt Stacks told me it was something I wouldn't want to miss. I was pretty impressed, and I look forward to giving more of their tunes some attention. I was more eager for the next band though, Dikembe (Click here to read/download). They were from Florida, hadn't toured yet, released their first EP to great critical success, had members from Wavelets, and had just signed on to Tiny Engine Records. They took Junior Battle's momentum and ran with it; it was one of my favorite sets of the weekend. Low and behold, the guys from Look Mexico were also there for the fun. I think they were stalking us.

After Dikembe, we got to do an interesting interview with them which will be in this winter's zine. They told us to stick around for Restorations (Click here to read/download), to which we replied "We're planning on it!". I was surprised they were headlining a show, but I guess it makes sense in retrospect. I had only heard of them this year after their release of their self-titled LP. However, they must have a bigger fanbase than I imagined because they certainly owned the headlining spot. They put on an intense show, and had the most people there for any band.

I liked his bass set up for some reason. I think it was an Emperor under a Mars under a Musicman.

There was one more show I wish I could've gone to that was held at the place where registration was at the Holiday Inn. It featured Comadre playing a set as At the Drive-In (Probably the closest anyone will get to seeing ATDI ever again), Bomb the Music Industry! as The Weakerthans, The Flatliners as Rocket from the Crypt, and The Arteries as AC/DC. Unfortunately, the only way to get into this show was to have a laminate (slipped under the door of your room at the Holiday Inn) and a wristband for the hoterl. Moral of the story: if you go to Fest, make sure you book a room at the Holiday Inn.

So, that sums up our three part memoir of Fest 10. It was an amazing time; the best festival you could go to for a great price. Hope you enjoyed the coverage, and hope to see you there next year!

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This website is for discovering new music. If you find a band you really enjoy, go to their show, buy a shirt, or do something to show your support. Bands don't make much money from album sales anyways. However, if you just download their music and that's it, then the band doesn't make anything at all and they probably won't make anymore music for you to listen to. The music on this blog is for promotional uses only.